Antea Group says the results of its study of technologyindustry professionals show that a disconnect exists between employees’
understanding of how OSH affects satisfaction at work. The study surveyed 500
U.S.-based professionals working in global IT organizations that have more than
5,000 employees.
Although most (64%) say they would appreciate being told
they were doing something that was potentially unsafe, only about half (55%) of
employees reported feeling comfortable pointing out potentially unsafe behavior
to both peers and superiors. On the other hand, 85% would not feel obligated to
intervene if they saw an unsafe act, and 38% would be offended if they were
told they were doing something potentially unsafe.
Antea Group says that employees’ discomfort talking about
safety and helping colleagues be safe limits the effectiveness of company
safety programs such as incident reporting, injury and illness prevention, and
risk assessment programs.
“These survey results highlight just how important EHS is to
the tech workforce and the gaps in creating truly effective programs in this
fast-changing industry,” says Antea Group’s Peylina Chu. “By prioritizing the
health and safety of their employees, technology companies will not only
safeguard their brand, but also retain their most important assets, their
people.”
In a SlideShare presentation, the group offers seven tactics
for OSH professionals in light of the research results.